Federal kidnapping case in Clovis park killings dismissed

A federal court order issued Oct. 30 dismissed the kidnapping indictment against Alek Collins without prejudice. The dismissal followed a civil commitment, meaning a judge ordered Collins into mental health treatment.

Collins, 26 at the time of the attacks, has been held in a federal mental hospital near Boston since his arrest on May 6, 2024. The without prejudice status allows prosecutors to refile the case if they choose.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Taylor Hartstein and U.S. Public Defender Emily Carey declined to comment on the ruling. The federal kidnapping charge was the only federal count filed against Collins. State murder charges were initially filed in Curry County Magistrate Court in May 2024 but were dismissed so federal officials could prosecute.

The case stems from events in May 2024 at Ned Houk Park in Clovis. Harley Cisneros and Taryn Allen, both 23 and friends from Texico, were shot to death in the park. Cisneros' children, Sofia Cisneros, 5, and Eleia Maria Torres, 10 months, survived. Sofia was shot at the scene, while Eleia was taken by Collins and later found in Abilene, Texas.

Laura Robinson, Cisneros' mother, said her family learned of the dismissal through social media and news reports rather than a direct call from prosecutors. In a statement with her husband Mike Robinson, she expressed deep disappointment. The couple asked the Ninth Judicial District Attorney's Office to refile the murder charges in Curry County and to meet with the families to explain next steps.

Amy Jo Robinson, Allen's mother, said a prosecutor's spokeswoman informed her months ago that the dismissal was likely. Robinson said officials explained that Collins had been on medication for schizophrenia for eight months, but it was not working. "They said that for eight months they had him on medicine (for schizophrenia) and it wasn't working, so they found him incompetent to stand trial," Robinson said.

Quentin Ray, the Clovis district attorney, did not immediately respond to questions. Collins had contacted the FBI twice in October 2023 to report his missing daughter, a claim officials have not verified. He was living near Houston in early May 2024 before driving to Clovis, where he may have encountered the victims near the Dollar Tree on Prince Street.